Rothesay Castle (Scotland): Top Tips Before You Go - TripAdvisor “Great for kids (small and big)” Reviewed November 9, 2016 All that was needed was the quiz sheet and a couple of pencils to keep our grand children fully occupied for our visit to this castle. They must have completed half a dozen tours of the whole site. The castle history is very interesting and we would recommend a tour to anyone visiting the Isle of Bute. Helpful? Rothesay Castle, Isle of Bute | Historic Scotland Guide HERITAGE HIGHLIGHTS: One of the best preserved early medieval castles in Scotland Rothesay Castle and moat One of the finest early medieval castles in Scotland, Rothesay Castle has seen dramatic sieges and the rise and fall of kingdoms. It has been a wooden Norse fortress, a Scottish stone keep, an English possession, and a royal Scottish fortress. History In the early medieval period much of western Scotland and the isles were part of a vast Norse kingdom that included Norway, the Hebrides, and the Isle of Man. About 1098 a Norse king by the name of Magnus Barelegs built a wooden castle here, on a rise of ground above Rothesay Bay.

The bay provided a natural anchorage for Norse vessels, but the castle site at first glance has no obvious defensive promise. About 1200 William the Lion seized the Firth of Clyde from the Norse, and the king's hereditary Steward, Walter, began to replace the wooden castle with the superb stone fortress, almost entirely circular in plan, that we can see today. Walter was the 3rd High Steward of Scotland, a post that evolved into a family name, a dynasty, and eventually, into a royal line that is with us today. The stone keep erected by Walter had a wet moat fed by a small burn flowing out of Loch Fad. The medieval engineers knew their business, for the moat system still works to this day. But the Scots were not to enjoy control of Bute for long. In 1230 Norse under Uspak, King of Man and the Isles, besieged Rothesay Castle for three days. The defenders poured boiling pitch and molten lead over the walls, but the Norse attackers built a shield of wood to protect their heads, and cut through the soft stone walls with their axes. Walter Steward was killed by an arrow, and the Norse took the castle.

They could not hold it however, and retreated after looting and exacting a ransom of 300 silver marks. Inside the castle gatehouse The Norse were back in 1263 under Haakon IV, in the last serious attempt by the Norse to wrest back control of western Scotland. Haakon's attempts failed, however, and he retreated after an inconclusive naval engagement at Largs, leaving his son Magnus to formally cede Bute and all Norse Hebridean territories to Alexander III of Scotland. Rothesay was in Scottish hands until the Scottish Wars of Independence, when the English were able to sieze control several times. Edward I took control in the 1290s, but the Scots retook Rothesay in 1306 after a naval attack led by Sir Rober Boyd of Cunningham. The English retook Rothesay briefly after the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333. After the death of David II in 1371 the crown passed to Robert Stewart, the first Stewart king, and Rothesay Castle became a royal residence. But we're getting ahead of ourselves; throughout the 13th century Rothesay Castle was strengthened and enlarged.

Four huge drum towers were added, projecting from the perimeter wall to allow a better angle of fire for archers on the walls. In terms of military defenses, Rothesay had all the 'mod cons' of the day. These changes neccessitated reshaping the moat to a rectilinear plan. Around 1498 James IV granted Rothesay to Ninian Stewart as an hereditary keeper. The Castle Gatehouse The great gatehouse was begun shortly after, but it was not to be complete until sometime after 1541, in the reign of James V. The gatehouse was more than simply a powerful defensive structure; it contained luxurious living quarters, with a comfortable great hall with a large fireplace and window seats, with private quarters and an oratory on the second floor. Within the main castle structure a chapel, dedicated to St Michael, was added. View from the castle walls The next few centuries saw a series of sieges by the English, who returned in 1462, 1527, and 1544.

But the final blows were to fall in the mid-17th century; in the 1650s Oliver Cromwell's men inflicted heavy damage, and in 1685 the Earl of Argyll and his Covenater army burned the castle, inflicting heavy damage. Rothesay Castle was restored by the 3rd Marquess of Bute in 1872 and 1879. Though the castle was formally placed in state control in 1951, and is now operated by Historic Scotland, the hereditary keepership of the castle remains in the Stuart family. The gatehouse contains displays on the castle's long history and its owners. Today the outer walls of the castle are relatively intact, and create a wonderfully romantic medieval sight. Within the castle walls all is not quite so well-preserved however, but you can mount to the top of the walls in places, for excellent views across Rothesay. The circular walls are unique among Scottish castles. The Green Lady ghost Being an avid photographer and knowing the castle was generally floodlit after dark, I was keen to photograph the castle illuminated at night, so I set up my tripod outside the fence and waited while the sun went down.

Just as it got dark and the floodlights came on, a rather inebriated young chap came out of a nearby house and wandered over to see what I was doing. Semi-seriously he asked if I had managed to take any shots of the Green Lady. 'Green Lady?' I said, intrigued despite myself. He told me that a ghostly green figure had been reported by numerous people, around the top of the parapet and the tower. He didn't know any more about the legend, and after a time he wandered off, leaving me to photograph in peace. I kept one eye out for any sort of mysterious green glow, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary save for a wonderfully atmospheric historic castle illuminated by floodlights! A bit of research unearthed several versions of the story. Apparently, during one of the numerous Norse raids on Rothesay they were going to force a particular young lady named Isobel to marry a Norse king. Rather than marry the king, she chose to throw herself down the stairs behind the chapel and so died. Ever since, her ghost haunts the castle, and the stair is known to this day as the Bloody Stair.

Another version says that she stabbed herself to death rather than marry a Viking who had killed her family. Green must be a popular colour for ghosts, as one of Scotland's most famous ghosts is another Green lady, but one that haunts Crathes Castle , in Aberdeensire. There is also a Welsh Green Lady at Caerphilly Castle , Glamorgan. Summing up Rothesay Castle I loved visiting the castle; it is a bit odd in that the site is surrounded by terraced houses, but the lovely, curving moat, with swans swimming along peacefully, does create a terrific atmosphere. About Rothesay Castle Rothesay | VisitScotland Check Availability Terms & Conditions This booking system and any information appearing on this page relating to the availability of any accommodation is provided by third parties and not by VisitScotland. It is intended to provide real time availability information relating to accommodation which is also provided by third parties. You may use this booking system to place direct bookings with third party accommodation providers. Any booking you make will not be placed with VisitScotland and we will have no liability to you in respect of any booking. If you proceed to make a booking you will leave our Website and visit a website owned and operated by a third party.

VisitScotland does not have any control over the content or availability of any external website. This booking system and any information appearing on this page is provided for your information and convenience only and is not intended to be an endorsement by VisitScotland of the content of such linked websites, the quality of any accommodation listed, or of the services of any third party. Rothesay Towns & Villages Rothesay is a smart Victorian seaside resort and the main town on the east side of Isle of Bute. This highly accessibly town is very traditional and good looking with signs of its Victorian heritage including a splendid Victorian frontage cradling the romantic Rothesay Bay. Dominating the shoreline amongst the glorious esplanade gardens is the refurbished Isle of Bute Discovery Centre , a unique 1920s circular structure of cast iron and glass, now incorporating a cinema, theatre and many interactive displays as well as showcasing the best of Bute . Visitors can also explore the impressive Rothesay Castle , its dungeons, thick outer walls and grand hall which are all now fully restored. Just behind it sits the fascinating Bute Museum .

To the north of Rothesay, through the small community of Port Bannatyne, lies Ettrick Bay , Bute’s most accessible beach, which is a relative safe haven for able swimmers. Rothesay Castle Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland Rothesay Castle from the East Rothesay Castle stands in a prominent position in the centre of the town of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. In Scottish terms it is an unusual castle, being largely circular. It is also remarkably well preserved for such an early castle, with much of what you see today dating directly back to its original construction in the early 1200s. In about 1200, Bute was granted by William I to his hereditary Steward, Alan. The island had within living memory formed part of a Norse empire that included Kintyre, the Isle of Man and the Western Isles, and it continued to be a disputed territory over which William I wished to strengthen his grip. Bute's best natural harbour is formed by the north-facing Rothesay Bay on the island's east coast, and Alan moved swiftly to build a fortification on low lying ground at the head of the bay.

This first castle was probably of wood, but by 1230 his son, Walter II, Steward of Scotland, had replaced it with a circular stone castle, probably surrounded by a moat, the inner edge of which would have been defended by a wooden wall. In 1230 King Håkon IV of Norway sent a fleet under the command of Uspak, the King of Man, to retake the Isle of Bute. The siege of Rothesay Castle lasted three days, and according to a contemporary account was a vicious affair in which Nowegian attackers hacked their way through the stone wall with their axes while, amongst other things, boiling pitch was poured on them from above. Their breach of the wall proved conclusive and the Norwegians eventually took the castle. But no sooner had they done so than a large Scottish fleet was sighted and the Norwegians had to withdraw to Kintyre, where King Uspak died of injuries suffered in the siege. Rothesay Castle was again taken by the Norse, this time under the personal command of Håkon IV, in 1263. The castle surrendered in return for a guarantee of safe passage for the defenders, though a number were subsequently killed.

Again, however, the Norse hold on Bute was brief. After defeat by Alexander III (and the weather ) at the Battle of Largs in September 1263, Håkon IV and his fleet retired to Kirkwall on Orkney, where he died. With him died any realistic prospects of a Norwegian resurgence in the Western Isles and three years later remaining Norwegian claims were surrendered to (or brought out by) the Scottish Crown under the terms of the Treaty of Perth. The Norwegian attacks had shown that Rothesay Castle was not the impregnable fortress its builders had hoped, and in the last decades of the 1200s it was significantly strengthened with the addition of four circular towers projecting from the walls and a gatehouse on the northern side of the castle. In 1371 Robert II succeeded to the Scottish Crown, and with him the Hereditary High Stewards of Scotland became the Kings of Scotland: commencing the three hundred year reign of the House of Stewart. Robert II spent much of his time at Rothesay Castle, as did his son, Robert III, who died there on 4 April 1406.

The castle next played an important role in Scottish history under James IV, who in the 1490s sought to regain effective control of the Western Isles from John, Lord of the Isles. James IV, and, after his untimely and unnecessary death at the Battle of Flodden, James V, oversaw significant works at Rothesay Castle. These included the expansion of the gatehouse to add space for a great hall and two further floors of accommodation; the increase in height of the two northern towers and the walls linking them to the gatehouse; and, probably, the construction of the chapel, the only building to survive in any recognisable form within the castle walls. In the 1650s the castle was used as a base by Cromwellian troops and it is possible they tried to render its defences useless when they left in 1659. The castle was attacked during a failed revolt against James VII/II by the Duke of Argyll in May 1685 (see our Historical Timeline ) and further damaged.

In 1816 the 2nd Marquess of Bute employed 70 men to excavate the ruins of the castle, and from 1872 to 1879 the 3rd Marquess of Bute undertook a more extensive program of consolidation, during which the moat was re-excavated. In 1900 the gatehouse was reconstructed and the great hall was made usable again: the reconstruction being done in a reddish stone to distinguish it clearly from what already existed. In 1937 part of the north west tower, converted to a dovecote in the 1600s, collapsed and was rebuilt. In 1961 Rothesay Castle was placed in State care and it is now looked after by Historic Environment Scotland. Interior of the Castle find it in scotland> Rothesay Castle Castles and Fortified Buildings of Scotland ROTHESAY CASTLE Rothesay Castle is a ruined castle in Rothesay, the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in western Scotland.

This castle has been described as one of the most remarkable in Scotland; its long history dates back to the beginning of the 13th century, and it was designed with a most unusual circular plan. The castle was built either by Alan, High Steward of Scotland (d.1204), or by his son Walter Stewart (d.1246), ancestor of the House of Stuart or Stewart. Alan was granted the lands of the Isle of Bute by William I in 1200. A wooden castle was constructed first, but the stone circular curtain wall was in place by the 1230s, when the castle was att acked and taken by Norsemen under Gillespec MacDougall (known as Uspak in Norse), grandson of Somerled. According to The Saga of Haakon Haakonsson, the Norsemen fought for three days to take the castle, breaking down part of the eastern wall by hewing the stone with their axes "because it was soft". Certainly the eastern wall shows signs of damage, but the breach was quickly repaired at the time, and the exact site is undetermined. This saga is the earliest recorded account of an assault on a Scottish castle.

In 1263, Rothesay was taken again by the Norse under Haakon IV before the Battle of Largs. Although the Battle of Largs was indecisive, Haakon's campaign was unsuccessful, and effectively ended Norse influence in western Scotland. The opening picture at the top of the page shows the13th century curtain wall seen from the south-east, across the moat. The bases of the south-east and south-west towers can be seen. The early castle had only the roughly circular curtain wall, 3m thick and around 43m across, built on a low mound, with a battlement on top accessed by open stairs. The moat was connected to the sea, as th e shoreline was much closer in these days. The broad crenellations can be made out within the walls, which were later raised. Holes in the upper wall would have supported a timber bretasche ( a projecting structure serving as an extended battlement). This curtain wall was built of coursed ashlar, and had only two openings in its length. The main gate was an arched opening with a simple timber door. The second opening was a small postern gate in the west wall, later blocked.

In the later part of the 13th century, the castle was strengthened by the addition of four round towers, of which only the north-east survives intact. These three-storey towers had strong splayed bases, with arrow slits below the crenellated parapet. A portcullis was added to the main gate. During the Wars of Scottish Independence, Rothesay was held by the English, but was taken by Robert the Bruce in 1311. It then returned to English hands in 1334, before being taken again by the Scots. Following the accession of the Stewarts to the throne of Scotland in 1371, the castle became a favourite residence of kings Robert II, and Robert III who died here in 1406. Robert II granted the hereditary keepership of the castle to his son John, ancestor of the Earls and Marquesses of Bute. Robert III made his eldest son David Duke of Rothesay in 1401, beginning a tradition of honouring the heir to the throne of Scotland with this title. (Today, the Duke of Rothesay is HRH Prince Charles).

In 1462 the castle survived a siege by the forces of John of Islay, Earl of Ross and the last Lord of the Isles. In the early 16th century Rothesay Castle was strengthened again. Construction of a gatehouse keep, extending from the north of the curtain wall, began around the turn of the century, to provide more modern accommodation for James IV. The curtain wall itself was raised up to ten metres in height, the works continuing into the reign of James V. In 1527 the castle withstood another siege by the Master of Ruthven, which destroyed much of the burgh of Rothesay. In 1544, the castle fell to the Earl of Lennox, acting for the English during the so-called "Rough Wooing". The forework is an L-plan structure, which jutted into the moat and was accessed by a drawbridge. The lower floor comprised a vaulted entrance tunnel running into the older castle courtyard. Above, the four storey tower contained royal lodgings, and still bears the royal coat of arms above the door. Also in the early 16th century, a chapel was built inside the old castle.

Simple in form, the chapel measured around 6m by 9m, and is now the only surviving structure within the curtain wall. The north-west tower was converted into a doocot (dovecote), and is known as the "Pigeon Tower", from the nest boxes built into the outside wall. Rothesay was garrisoned for the Royalists during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, then for the occupying forces of Oliver Cromwell, who invaded Scotland with his New Model Army in the early 1650s. On their departure in 1660, the troops partially dismantled the structure. What was left was burned by the supporters of Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll during his rising of 1685, in support of the Monmouth Rebellion against James VII. Following a long period of neglect, the 2nd Marquess of Bute employed 70 men to excavate the ruins, clearing large amounts of rubbish from the castle in 1816-17. But it was not until the 1870s that the ruins were stabilised.

Th e 3rd Marquess, a keen restorer of historic buildings, embarked upon a series of repairs and restorations, following surveys and advice from his regular architect William Burges. His "restorations" continued until 1900, and include the clearing and shaping of the moat, as well as the red sandstone additions to the forework, which reinstated the hall roof while significantly altering the character of the building. In 1961 Rothesay Castle was gifted to the state, and is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument, in the care of Historic Scotland. The castle is open to visitors year round . Fine views can be seen from the top of the walls over the town and back towards the mainland.

(For more information about Rothesay Castle, and the many sites and preservation work of Historic Scotland, use this link to go to the website: ) ***_______________ fiis__________________*** Where you are now: Home page > Scottish Heartbeat -The Mag > Castles and Fortified Buildings of Scotland > Rothesay Castle Illustrated Guide to Places to Visit - Rothesay Castle Places to Visit in Scotland - Rothesay Castle, Isle of Bute On the Isle of Bute Unless you are lucky enough to live on the Island of Bute, the way to reach Rothesay Castle from the mainland is by Caledonian MacBrayne Ferry from Wemyss Bay in Ayrshire across the wide Firth (Estuary) of Clyde. On a sunny day, there are great views up and down the Firth, and passing Castle Toward on the mainland of Argyll. It is also possible to travel by a long winding road to Colintraive in Argyll for a short ferry crossing to Bute across the Kyles of Bute.

Part of the Norse Kingdom As the Vikings from Scandinavia expanded around the west coast of Scotland (and on to the eastern seaboard of Ireland) they became established around the end of the 8th century on Bute (and the neighbouring islands of Arran and the Cumbraes (the latter not far from the Scottish mainland. However, in 1158 a lord of Argyll named Somerled (believed to be of mixed Celtic and Norse origins) successfully challenged the rule of the Norse king. When Somerled died, the Outer Western Isles returned to Norse control and the Inner Isles were divided amongst his sons. Not long after this, King William the Lion of Scotland seized control of Bute - but he and his descendants had to defend their western territory from the Vikings. In 1230 King Hakon of Norway sent a force to Bute to retake it - and were confronted by the Scots in a castle overlooking Rothesay Bay. Although the Vikings successfully captured the castle, it was retaken and the castle repaired. The Vikings' last attempt at overcoming the area ended in failure when King Hakon himself led a force which landed at Largs in 1263.

In the skirmishes which followed, King Alexander III and the Scots stopped any invasion - though gales were probably a major factor. On his way home, King Hakon died (on Kirkwall in Orkney) and three years later his successor handed over the Norse lands in Scotland and the Isle of Man to Scotland in return for a large payment. The Stewarts From the age of nine, King David I spent 30 years at the Norman English court of William II. So when he at last returned to Scotland in 1124 to claim his throne, he took with him many knights and courtiers from Norman England - many of whom became the future aristocrats and even kings of Scotland - including Bruce, Balliol and Walter FitzAlan (whose descendants later founded the Stewart line of kings). Walter became King David's high steward, an influential post and was rewarded with estates in Scotland - including the Isle of Bute and the title of Duke of Rothesay. The role became a hereditary one. Being on the edge of the area controlled by the Scottish king, Rothesay Castle was strengthened, possibly becoming built of stone (instead of earth and timber) for the first time.

The FitzAlans had now adopted the title of "The Steward" and James, the 5th Steward, supported both William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in their fight against the English. Later, Bruce's daughter Marjorie married the James's son Walter. Their son, Robert II, came to the throne in 1371 after the death of Bruce's only son, King David II died without issue. The Stewart dynasty was now established. Robert II spent a good deal of time at Rothesay during his time on the throne and his son, Robert III, also lived in Rothesay Castle on occasions. According to some accounts he also died there and was buried in Paisley Abbey. King James V made frequent visits to Rothesay Castle as he tried to establish his rule over the Lord of the Isles. By this time, it was well established that the monarch's eldest son should hold the title of Duke of Rothesay - a tradition that has been perpetuated to this day, with Prince Charles being the current holder. Later Years There is no record of Mary Queen of Scots visiting Rothesay Castle, despite her frequent tours to various other parts of her realm. Her son, King James VI never went there either.

But the building continued to be occupied by hereditary Stewart captains and keepers. In 1650, when the Scottish Parliament decided to support King Charles II after Charles I had been beheaded, Oliver Cromwell marched into Scotland and left an occupying force, including one at Rothesay Castle. When they left, they may have demolished part of the defences. When Archibald, the 9th Earl of Argyll led a short-lived revolt in support of King James VII, he attacked and plundered Rothesay Castle. It became uninhabitable and the Keeper, Sir James Stewart moved across the High Street to Mansion House (which is now the offices of the Bute Estate - the building with a tower, to the right of the castle in the illustration above). In the 19th century the Keepers of Rothesay Castle carried out some excavations and repair work and in 1900 the main hall on the first floor of the gatehouse was reconstructed. In 1961 the Marquess of Bute put the castle into State care and it is now looked after by Historic Scotland. The Castle Rothesay Castle is unusual in Scotland in being built to a mainly circular plan form.

The earliest stonework dates from around 1200AD. Over the years, four large turrets were constructed and the rectangular gatehouse, facing north towards the sea, with its apartments above, became the main residential area of the castle. The gatehouse was the main access to the castle, reached by a bridge across the moat (see on the left of the illustration) The so-called Pigeon Tower to the right of the main entrance (seen also in the illustration) is larger than the other three towers (and is the best preserved of all the towers as only the foundations remain of some of the others. This may have been where the Keeper of the castle had his apartments before the gatehouse was built. It got the name Pigeon Tower because the top floor was converted to a dovecot in the 17th century. In its prime, there would have been a large number of buildings within the castle walls, built mainly of timber, but today all that remains are the ruins of a chapel which was built around 1500 and a well. How to Get There As noted earlier, Rothesay Castle is reached by a frequent ferry service from Wemyss Bay in Ayrshire.

The M8 motorway and the A8 dual-carriageway from Glasgow reach as far as Greenock. You can go round the coast through Gourock but if you turn left at the traffic lights marking the junction with the A78 road sign-posted for Largs, your journey can be shorter. The Caledonian MacBrayne Web site has a timetable for the ferry - they currently (2004/5) run every 45 minutes. See also the Location Map (you can enlarge the scale of this map to street level, if required). The castle is on Castlehill Street. Where else would you like to go in Scotland? Links Pages Rothesay Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland East Side of Rothesay Seen Across the Harbour The town of Rothesay gathers around the north facing Rothesay Bay on the east side of the Isle of Bute. As the terminus for the 35 minute ferry crossing from Wemyss Bay, with onward rail connections to Glasgow, it remains a highly accessible resort: and the improvement and increased capacity of the ferry service in recent years reflects steadily improving fortunes after a number of decades of decline.

Today's visitor finds a very traditional and good looking resort that shows all the signs of its Victorian heritage, even down to the Victorian Toilets on the pier: as far as we know the only toilets in Scotland to be accorded their own visitor leaflet. Ladies should note that only the gents' loos are of historical interest: although the Victorian era was named after a female monarch, it seems that provision for the needs of female visitors was not high on the agenda of Rothesay's developers at the time. At least there are now facilities (albeit modern facilities) for female visitors. As well as serving as a gateway to the Isle of Bute, Rothesay is by far the island's biggest settlement. Here you will find almost all of the island's shops, a large proportion of the accommodation available on Bute, and a number of key visitor attractions. These include the Discovery Centre, in the spectacular Winter Gardens building on the sea front: while in the centre of the town is the circular, moated shell of Rothesay Castle, much of which dates back to the early 1200s.

A 15 minute walk from the centre of the town are the remains of St Mary's Church, which is only a century younger, being built in the early 1300s. Rothesay's origins are closely linked with those of its castle which, despite the attentions of Norse attackers twice in the 1200s, provided a focus for the town. The castle was a favourite home of a number of early Scottish kings, and Rothesay received its Royal Charter from Robert III in 1401, being later declared a free port by James VI in 1585. In May 1685 Rothesay Castle was attacked during a failed revolt against James VII/II by the Duke of Argyll. At the time Rothesay was said to be the home port for 80 boats fishing for herring, but the final demise of the castle seemed to lead to a period of decline for the town that surrounded it. The 1700s saw a number of small scale ventures into industrialisation, though none of them especially successful. Typical of the time was the distillery that was founded here in 1798, failing not long afterwards.

It was the introduction of some of the world's earliest steamships to the Clyde in the early 1800s that proved to be the making of Rothesay. Those operating these early vessels needed somewhere accessible and attractive to offer as a destination, and Rothesay fitted the bill admirably. The town was quickly established as a very fashionable watering hole and improvements to its harbour came hand in hand with the establishment of regular steamer services linking Rothesay to Glasgow and a number of other Clyde Estuary ports. During the same period it also grew as a herring fishing port. By the late 1800s, the number of steamers calling at Rothesay had increased to the point where its steamer pier was second busiest on the Clyde, with only Greenock seeing more traffic. Residents of Glasgow could reach Rothesay in around an hour by rail and steamer, and one result was a dramatic increase in the number of hotels and boarding houses. Once the increasingly mass-market trippers had reached Rothesay, they could progress to Port Bannatyne and from there across the island to Ettrick Bay by tram.

The peak year for steamer traffic was 1913, and during the Summer of that year anything up to 100 steamers each day called at Rothesay. The inter-war years saw Rothesay consolidate its position as a resort with, for example, the construction of the Winter Gardens: though in 1936 the trams stopped running. 1954 saw the arrival of the first car ferry serving Bute, the MV Cowal, but in the decades that followed the island saw its attraction as a holiday resort decline as more and more Scots discovered package holidays to Spain and the Mediterranean. The result was a steep decline in the town's fortunes, which have only really started to revive since the late 1990s. Rothesay Seen from the Walls of Rothesay Castle Rothesay Castle | VisitScotland Rothesay Castle Isle Of Bute From £2.70 per ticket Once a bulwark against invading Viking forces, the magnificent ruins of Rothesay Castle boast a long and close connection to the Stewart dynasty. Situated on the Isle of Bute, Rothesay Castles dates back to the early 13th century and is remarkably well preserved in spite of its age.

Built by the Stewart family to defend against invading Norwegian fleets, Rothesay’s immense circular curtain wall makes it unique in Scotland. In 1230 it survived a three-day siege by King Haakon IV of Norway which precipitated the castle’s fortification with four round towers. It became a royal residence soon after and was later occupied by Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence and served as a base for Cromwell’s troops in the late 17th century. The grandiose great hall in the gatehouse was restored by a Marquess of Bute in 1900 which now contains informative interpretive display which illuminate the history of the castle and its inhabitants. The 15th century St Michael’s Chapel in the courtyard is another of the castle’s impressive surviving features. Very occasionally the property has to close at short notice due to adverse weather conditions or other reasons out with our control. Please check the Historic Scotland closures page for any unexpected site closures . You can also follow closure tweets from @welovehistory using #hsclosure. Alternatively please call the site before setting off to check they are open.

Rothesay Castle Rothesay Castle Castlehill Street, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, PA20 0DA More pages 1 April to 30 September: Monday to Sunday, 9.30am to 5.30pm 1 October to 31 March: Daily except Thursday and Friday, 10am to 4pm Facilities Overview Survey a fortress linked to high stewards turned royal dynasty. A circular sandstone wall encloses this mighty castle, famous for its long and close association with the Stewart kings of Scotland. What to see and do See Scotland’s only circular curtain wall – the four projecting towers were added after the Norse siege of 1263 Step inside the great hall in the gatehouse, restored in 1900, to see displays about the castle and its royal owners Walk around the moat to view the stone curtain wall in all its glory – and the resident ducks Nothing To See Here: Rothesay, Isle of Bute For accidental tourists everywhere Rothesay, Isle of Bute For years Rothesay was a prime holiday destination for hordes of Glaswegians who would take a trip "doon the watter" for some sea air.

Thanks to its beautiful setting on the Isle of Bute, and well-preserved Victorian seaside architecture it is still popular (but not as much as it should be), and is easy to reach by public transport making it an ideal place if you suddenly decide you want to get away from it all. The pleasure starts as soon as you get on the ferry at Wemyss (pronounced "Weems") Bay (or before if you've got the train into its glorious Victorian station). The sailing only take 35 minutes and it's a beautiful trip across the Firth of Clyde. You might associate Scottish island life with crofts and sleepy villages but even from the boat Rothesay's solid Victorian villas and sandstone tenements give a hint of its bustling past. When you get off the ferry take a right and the Grade 'A' listed Winter Gardens, now the Isle of Bute Discovery Centre will help you find your bearings. The gardens outside are beautifully kept - immaculately clipped and colourful. You can have a game of putting or make a wish in the Wishing Fountain, gifted to the town in 1961. And if you walk along the prom you can enjoy the view over to the Cowal Peninsula.

One thing that's so special about Rothesay, and indeed the whole of Bute, is that here a sea view doesn't mean just sea, it means layers and layers of hills and mountains from neighbouring islands and mainland. I'm not always sure what I'm looking at but I know I like it. Continue past the Winter Gardens to Rothesay Pavilion, one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Scotland described at the time of its opening as 'uncompromisingly Moderne and stylish, [it] captures something of the boldness of Mendlesohn and Chermayeff’s only just completed Bexhill Pavilion’. Now used for concerts and discos the Pavilion also has a cafe which is open during the summer. Once you have regaled yourself with tea you can walk back towards the town centre and enjoy some of its other delights. There is a castle with a moat which was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell. Originally the castle was on the coast - the coastline you see today is built on land reclaimed from the sea. Near the Castle is The Serpentine, an extremely narrow, hilly road that snakes down the hill in a series of hairpin bends, much like San Francisco's Lombard Street.

If you can make it up the stairs at the side you'll get a great view across the town. In Rothesay though, the best pastime is wandering along the front eating chips and ice cream. Take note - there is a local delicacy which shouldn't be missed. Invented by the Zavaroni family (yes, as in Lena) who have a number of fish and chip shops along the front, a Top Hat is an ice cream cone topped with a snowball (mallow covered with chocolate and coconut). The snowball ice is itself a highlight of any Scots-Italian cafe menu so making this delicious dish portable deserves top marks. As you make your way back to the ferry have a pit stop in the Victorian toilets. They were commissioned in 1899 when Rothesay was at the height of its popularity, and like the rest of the town have been well-preserved. In Rothesay, even spending a penny is a pleasure. If you have longer, the rest of the island is worth exploring too and if I were you I'd never go home again. Rothesay photos

Question: On which Scottish Island would you find Rothesay Castle?
Answer: BUTE